The 9 Must-Listen Podcasts for Writers

If I were starting over, there’s one arrow in my quiver I’d want above all others. What’s the one skill I’d want to ensure I was going to make it?

Copywriting.

Writing isn’t always sexy or glamorous. It’s not all day time martinis (damn) and staring longingly at the sea. That said, the ability to communicate and move a prospect from simple awareness to eventual advocate is a lucrative skill to possess.

And it all starts with strong writing. The ability to write well enhances any other line item on your CV, so we want to cultivate this indispensable skill whenever we can.

As Dan Pink says, we’re all in sales. Well, everyone who is in sales is also playing the writing game. It follows as a syllogism that we’re all writers. So let’s take a look at some invaluable, must-listen, podcasts for writers in 2020 and beyond.

These podcasts will keep your pockets full and your pencils sharp.

Writing Coach Podcast with Rebecca L. Weber

Rebecca Weber is a working freelance writer and writing coach from South Africa by way of Boston. She’s traveled the world and lived the life that a freelance writing career can provide. And not the standing in front of fancy sports cars while sipping cocktails on Instagram life. No, this is a more grounded and practical type of freelance freedom.

Her advice tends to focus on the little motivators that get writers off the couch and in front of their blank page. How and where to pitch. When to follow up. What editors are thinking. How to deal with rejection, or worse, silence.

She hosts an intensive coaching boot camp for those writers that want to move beyond the podcast content. But for most of us the podcast is a nice little anchor point in our weekly motivation game.

Listen: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Spotify

Copy Chatter for Freelance Writers with Ashley Gainer

Writing can be a solitary experience. It’s just you and your keyboard (or journal and pen if you’re fancy). This can be isolating, and isolation breeds demotivation. Sometimes its nice to have a little checkin with someone else in the platoon to know you’re not alone in the trenches.

Ashley’s podcast does just that. In roughly 20 minutes she’ll deliver a helpful tip for working freelance writers, as well as some context about the trials that most all writers go through. It’s good to know your problems aren’t unique. She answers questions like “should I write for free” and touches on the massive mistakes she’s made as a freelance writer.

In addition to the brief podcast, she hosts a thriving facebook community where writers can get together and talk shop or unload. It’s worth a spot in your subscription queue for sure.

Listen: Apple Podcast | Google Podcasts | Spotify

Self Publishing School

The future of writing is self-publishing. Finding your niche and owning that space. The Internet has largely broken down the traditional gatekeepers that stops anyone from being a published author.

Now, should you be an author? Probably, but the jury is still out, but can you? Absolutely.

Hosted by Chandler Bolt, the show covers both the nuts and bolts of how to self-publish, but also the mindset and motivation behind self-publishing. He brings in guests to discuss their successes (and failures) along the self-publishing path.

In 2020 and beyond, it’s not enough to allowed through the gate. You’ve got to bust your way in. The Self Publishing School podcast will help keep your energy level high.

Listen: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Spotify

Do it Scared with Ruth Soukup

I first ran across Ruth when someone sent me her book How to Blog for Profit Without Selling Your Soul. It was an upbeat look at a business that is traditionally thought of as quite the grind in the writing world.

Like a lot of other podcast hosts who slowly move from working in their business on a daily basis to working on their business, Ruth’s podcast has evolved over time. It’s transitioned from a nuts and bolts topic list to a mindset driven podcast. And that’s just fine, becuase its mindset and habit formation that hold most writers back.

So it’s nice to have a series of mindset oriented podcasts where the host came up through the writing world primarily. It’s more relatable for writers still climbing that ladder.

Listen: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Spotify

A Way With Words

If you’re a writer who isn’t listening to A Way With Words, you need to remedy this post-haste. The long-running show in the PBS orbit has been a linguistic bastion since 1998. The current hosts have been in place for more than a decade and bring listeners on an upbeat, bouncy, stroll through what has to be one of the more difficult languages the planet has decided to allow to exist.

Martha and Grant never talk down to the listeners and you’ll always walk away from an episode having learned something new.

A way with words has been and will continue to be, a necessary weekly anchor for writers everywhere. I’m excited you don’t have to seek it out on a local PBS affiliate anymore.

Listen: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Spotify

This American Life

Writing, be it fiction or nonfiction, is, at its core, an exercise in storytelling. As storytelling exercises go, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better example than This American Life. There are so many lessons to learn from the crew at This American Life.

The storytelling is impeccably done. The way they weave together a narrative structure with what otherwise might be called the news is pure artistry. The work is magnetic. You can’t help but be drawn into it.

It doesn’t matter if you’re writing sales copy, telling fictional tales, or ghostwriting blog posts. Listening to This American Life on a weekly basis is a must for any writer looking to grow.

A weekly basis… how are they so prolific?

Listen: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Spotify

The Copywriter Club

The Copywriter Club podcast is all about inspiration. Every episode is built around an interview with someone who is in the business and actively working. This isn’t mere theory. These are active examples that every writer can integrate into their business.

Hosts Kira and Rob also have a knack at reminding us that writing opportunities are everywhere. They bring in experts to discuss topics as far flung as rewriting podcast introductions, or niching down into facebook ad writing.

A working writer doesn’t have to sell half a billion copies of their book to be considered successful. There are takeaways from everyone making it happen on the Copywriter Club Podcast.

Listen: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Spotify

First Draft – A Dialogue on Writing

Ah… the first draft. The vomit draft. The draft that is the hardest to compose and keeps most writers stuck. Almost univerrsally feared, the first draft is brimming with possibility. What a great name for a podcast talking about the writer’s life.

What’s nice about First Draft is Mitzi Rapkin’s ability to bring in writers from across the board (poetry, fiction, non-fiction, copywriters,etc.) to discuss their process and craft. It’s comforting to know how similar the work flow is across genres. And how at most any level, the frist draft is still going to trip you up a bit.

I like to keep this one in rotation to keep me from straying too far off the reservation.

Listen: Apple Podcast | Podyssey.fm | Spotify

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

The English language is weird. Any attempt to codify a dialect or lexicon is a stretch at best. Couple that with the fact that even most professional writers last had a formal grammar class in the third grade and it becomes obvious almost immediately what niche Grammar Girl is filling in the writing world.

At around 15 minutes an episode, Grammar Girl slots into a hectic writing schedule as easily as brainstorming or editing. It’s one of those quarter hours as a writer that yields sizable return on investment.

Listen: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Spotify

Conclusion

And there you have it. The 9 must-listen podcasts for writers in 2020 and beyond. There is a healthy mix of practical tips, inspiration, and mindset to keep your fingers clacking away. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but you’ve got to make sure you’ve carved out some time in your podcast schedule to actually put words on the page right?

Let me know what shows I’ve missed that absolutely have to be in your subscription queue. Let me know on twitter. I’m always looking for a new show.